Austrian reality show creates dumpster dive cuisine

‘Waste Cooking’ turns garbage into a public buffet of prepared food.

“Waste Cooking” started as an online show early last year, and in December a television station in Vienna started airing it. The episodes chronicle dumpster divers, also known here in the United States as freegans, who pull perfectly edible food from the dumpsters and trash cans of stores and restaurants. NPR reports that they then set up a kitchen in a public place, prepare the food and invite people to eat it.

Understandably, the episodes aren’t in English, but they’ve created a short film, “Days in Trash,” that has English subtitles. It’s amazing to see all of the fresh produce that gets pulled from trash. It’s also funny to watch the faces of the people when they learn what they’re eating. Some of them are completely fine with it, saying that the trash from the garbage bins is good, others, like the teenage boys aren’t so sure about it. Take a look.

Knowing what I do about the high quality of the food that gets thrown away simply because it’s close to it’s sell-by date or to make room for newer food on the shelf, I would stop and share a meal with these wastedivers. Would you?